Pictures from Altar

These are the plywood beds migrants sleep on in the hospitality houses. There are many hospitality houses all over northern Mexico. Hospitality houses serve as a waiting place where migrants stay until their guide or "coyote" tells them that it's time to leave. Nice place, eh?

Here are two pictures of the town square in Altar. A few years ago, this square would have had thousands of immigrants here waiting to cross in to the U.S. But because of the ever increasing difficulty to cross, many migrants are now seeking other avenues to cross. If you look closely in the background, you see rows of vans.

These vans transport migrants by the dozens every day to the border where they will meet up with their guide who will then take them across the desert terrain.

The men in these pictures represent the majority of migrants who try to cross the border. They are male, between the ages of 15 and 45, and many are husbands and fathers who are desperate enough to leave their families in order to find work.

We had the privilege to meet and talk with migrants on our trip. We learned that migrants come from all over Mexico and South Central America to find work, escape persecution, or just find a better way of life. These men are just a few of the many that say in hospitality houses as they wait for their guides to tell them that it's time to go. These houses are really not hospitible at all. In the U.S., we would call these roach motels. But thes is where they are to stay if they want to cross the border.

Your comments or questions are welcome!